An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Dustin glanced at the vial of poison. He hesitated briefly before nodding. Since Mr. Styles thinks highly of me, I should show my commitment.” 11

He picked up the vial, twisted off the cap, and downed the poison in one go without leaving a drop behind. To make sure Hank could see clearly, Dustin tipped the bottle upside down to show it was empty.

Dustin’s body was immune to most toxins, so this tiny dose didn’t concern him.

Hank laughed heartily at the sight. ” You’re really bold!”

Drinking the poison would prove Dustin’s commitment to joining the Hall of Gods, and it was the only way to earn their trust. No matter how convincing his words were, they would mean nothing without that act of loyalty.

While the Hall of Gods valued talent, loyalty was their top priority. Only those who proved their unwavering commitment would be granted special training.

Hence, the most effective way was to put one’s life in their hands. This was a reality that everyone faced, including Hank. When a mission was assigned, they all had to take the poison first as a testament to their allegiance.

“Mr. Styles, I’ve shown my sincerity. What do you need me to do next?” Dustin asked again.

He surmised that the Hall of Gods had something up their sleeve, but the details remained murky. He needed to understand their detailed strategy to prepare himself properly. Otherwise, what he had done earlier would be for nothing.

“You don’t need to do anything for now. Just concentrate on honing your skills for tomorrow’s match,” Hank said with a smile.

He continued, “Given your talent and the enhanced serum, you have a solid chance of winning. I’ll reveal our full plan once you defeat the other contestants and claim the championship. Then, you’ll see just how great the Hall of Gods truly is.”

not trust me?” Dustin frowned and

don’t trust you. Frankly, I also don’t know the plan,” Hank said

King is in charge of this operation and won’t share the details before we act. It’s a precaution to prevent

important to keep everything so secret? Even someone

how things have always been. I hope you

sound absurd, but that was the reality. Regular members of the Hall of Gods had a bit more leeway, but anyone with a title or being groomed for something special faced stricter supervision. They had plenty of resources at their disposal, but

I’ll go along with it. I won’t press further if this is how the Hall of Gods operates. Just let me know if you need anything.” Dustin decided not to press further to avoid

take my leave now. I’m looking forward to your impressive performance tomorrow.” Hank nodded as he stood up and left

tavern bustled with patrons, and every eye seemingly fixed on him. The longer he lingered, the greater the risk of drawing unwanted attention. He had

left, Dustin stashed away the two vials of enhanced serum. He then leaped out of the back window and

minutes later, he silently appeared in a secluded courtyard. It was small but tastefully adorned, which

approached the bedroom door

She wasn’t conventionally beautiful, but there was something quietly

like stars. The woman was Grace Linsor, who had disguised

here. Please come in.” She smiled and gestured with one

few knew where she lived. When Dustin stepped into the courtyard, she sensed

in and sat down

something

replied, not bothering